Cover for cap adjustment strap and method

ABSTRACT

A cover for an adjustment strap on a cap has a wrap and a securing part. The wrap wraps around the strap and has one part of a hook and loop fastener. The securing part has a flexible, elastic body with three dimensional indicia on one side. The body has the other part of the hook and loop fastener on the opposite side to secure the wrap around the strap. A method of making the cover includes molding the body and attaching part of the hook and loop fastener to the body.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to headwear, and more particularly to a cover for a size adjustment strap on a cap.

BACKGROUND ART

Prior known covers for adjustment straps on adjustable baseball style caps were generally provided for two reasons. The first reason is to pad the strap and thereby prevent discomfort due to pressure or skin irritation. The second reason is to provide an area for indicia such as advertising, logos or a name.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,362 to Walsh discloses a cover having a wrap and an advertising member. The wrap wraps around the adjustment strap and has one part of a hook and loop fastener. The advertising member has the other part of the hook and loop fastener and secures the wrap around the strap. The backing on the part of the hook and loop fastener on the advertising member is used as an advertising surface onto which indicia can be embroidered, silk-screened, painted, glued, etc.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A cover for an adjustment strap for a cap has a wrap member and a securing member. The wrap member is sized to wrap around the strap and has an outer surface with a hook and loop first fastener portion. The securing member has a flexible, elastic body portion with an inner face and a spaced, oppositely facing outer face, a hook and loop second fastener portion attached to the inner face, and three dimensional indicia on the outer face. The body portion and the indicia are made as an integral unit of a selected material. The indicia can have contrasting color relative to the color of the body, can project inwardly and outwardly from the outer face and can include a texture across the outer face. The body portion and indicia are generated together such as by molding and the second fastener portion is bonded to the body. A method of making a cover for an adjustment strap for a cap includes the steps of providing a wrap member, forming a flexible, elastic body portion with three dimensional indicia on the outer face, and bonding a second fastener portion directly to the inner face of the body portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Details of this invention are described in connection with the accompanying drawings that bear similar reference numerals in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation view of a cover embodying features of the present invention on a baseball cap.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cover 11, embodying features of the present invention, includes a wrap member 14 and a securing member 15. The baseball cap 17 shown has a domed crown 18, a forwardly projecting bill 19, a semicircular opening 20 in the back of the crown 18, and an adjustment strap 21 connecting across the opening 20. The cover 11 fits on the adjustment strap 21. The cover 11 can be used with other cap or visor types and on other types of straps.

The wrap member 14 is sized to wrap around the adjustment strap 21, having a pair of spaced longitudinal edges 23 that are near each other when the wrap member 14 is wrapped around the adjustment strap 21. The longitudinal edges 23 may overlap on smaller adjustment straps 21, or there may be a gap between the longitudinal edges 23 on larger adjustment straps 21. The length of the wrap member 14 is as large or smaller than the length of the adjustment strap 21 when the cap 17 is adjusted.

The wrap member 14 shown is generally rectangular. The wrap member 14 is preferably made of a soft, flexible material, such as fabric, with an outer surface 24 that is comfortable against the back of the head or the forehead of a user. The outer surface 24 has hook and loop first fastener portions 25 adjacent to the longitudinal edges 23. The first fastener portions 25 shown are loop portions that cover the entire outer surface 24.

The securing member 15 has a flexible, elastic body portion 27 and a hook and loop second fastener portion 28. The body portion 27 is an integral unit with a substantially flat inner face 29, a spaced, oppositely facing outer face 30, and three dimensional indicia 31 on the outer face 30. The indicia can project outwardly and inwardly from the outer face 30 and can include textures, graphics, advertising, logos and/or names on the outer face 30.

The body portion 27, including the indicia 31, is made of a selected material that is flexible and elastic. By way of example, and not as a limitation, the selected material can be latex, PVC, silicone or rubber, and can have a durometer range of 25-70 Shore A. The material of the indicia 31 can have one or more colors that contrast with the color of the material of the outer face 30 or the rest of the body portion 27. The body portion 27 is preferably made by molding. Alternatively, the body portion 27 could be made by other methods, such as 3D printing.

The second fastener portion 28 is attached to the inner face 29 of the body portion 27. Preferably the second fastener portion 28 is bonded directly to the inner face 29. More preferably the second fastener portion 28 is thermally bonded, adhered by an adhesive, or sewn to the inner face 29.

The second fastener portion 28 is sized to engage the first fastener portions 25 at the longitudinal edges 23 of the member 14 to secure the cover 11 to the adjustment strap 21. When the first fastener portions 25 used are loop portions, a hook portion is used as the second fastener portion 28. The body portion 27 is sized to be as large or larger than the second fastener portion 28. The body portion 27 shown is rectangular and approximately the height of the adjustment strap 21, but other sizes and shapes can be used.

A method of making a cover for an adjustment strap for a cap includes the steps of providing a wrap member with a hook and loop first fastener portions, forming a body portion, providing a hook and loop second fastener portion and bonding the second fastener portion to the body portion. The wrap member is sized to wrap around the strap. The wrap member has a pair of spaced longitudinal edges and an outer surface. The first fastener portions are adjacent to the edges. The body portion is flexible and elastic, and is formed as an integral unit of a selected material. The body portion has an inner face, a spaced, oppositely facing outer face, and three dimensional indicia on the outer face. The second fastener portion is attached directly to the inner face of the body portion to create a securing member.

The step of forming includes molding the body portion. The step of attaching includes thermally bonding, adhering, or sewing the second fastener portion to the body portion. The material of the outer face has a first color and the material of the indicia includes a second color that contrasts with the first color material of the body portion. The material is chosen from the group of latex, PVC, silicone and rubber. The material of the body portion has a durometer range of 25-70 Shore A.

The elasticity of the body portion 27 allows the cover 11 to conform to the curvature of the user's head. Thermally bonding the second fastener portion 28 to the inner face 29 of the body portion 27 eliminates an adhesive layer that would stiffen the securing member 15 and thereby prevent the securing member 15 from conforming to the curvature of the user's head. Thermally bonding the second fastener portion 28 to the inner face 29 of the body portion 27 produce a more permanent bond than most adhesives.

The molded indicia 31 provides a true three dimensional image. The molded three dimensional indicia 31 is colorfast, waterproof and sweat proof. The molded three dimensional indicia 31 will not fray, crack, shrink or peel. Molding produces shapes and textures unavailable with screen printing or embroidery. Molding provides finer detail that screen printing or painting. Multiple elevations can be molded into the outer face 30.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cover for an adjustment strap for a cap comprising: a wrap member, sized to wrap around said strap, having a pair of spaced longitudinal edges and an outer surface with hook and loop first fastener portions adjacent to said edges, a securing member having a flexible, elastic body portion with an inner face, a spaced, oppositely facing outer face and three dimensional indicia on said outer face, and a hook and loop second fastener portion attached to said inner face, said body portion and said indicia being made as an integral unit of a selected material, whereby said wrap member wraps around said strap and said second fastener portion fastens to said first fastener portion along said longitudinal edges to secure said wrap member.
 2. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said material of said outer face has a first color and said material of said indicia includes a second color that contrasts with said first color.
 3. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said indicia projects outwardly from said outer face.
 4. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said indicia projects inwardly from said outer face.
 5. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said indicia includes a texture on said outer face.
 6. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said material of said body portion is chosen from the group of latex, PVC, silicone and rubber.
 7. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said material of said body portion has a durometer range of 25-70 Shore A.
 8. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second fastener portion is bonded directly to said inner face of said body portion.
 9. The cover as set forth in claim 8 wherein said second fastener portion is thermally bonded to said body portion.
 10. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first fastener portions are loop portions and said second fastener portion is a hook portion.
 11. A cover for an adjustment strap for a cap comprising: a wrap member, sized to wrap around said strap, having a pair of spaced longitudinal edges and an outer surface with a hook and loop fastener loop portions adjacent to said edges, a securing member having a flexible, elastic body portion with an inner face, a spaced, oppositely facing outer face and three dimensional indicia on said outer face, a hook and loop fastener hook portion attached to said inner face, said body portion and said indicia being made as an integral unit of a selected material, said material being chosen from the group of latex, PVC, silicone and rubber, said material of said outer face having a first color and said material of said indicia including a second color that contrasts with said first color, whereby said wrap member wraps around said strap and said second fastener portion fastens to said first fastener portion along said longitudinal edges to secure said wrap member.
 12. A method of making a cover for an adjustment strap for a cap comprising the steps of: providing a wrap member, sized to wrap around said strap, having a pair of spaced longitudinal edges and an outer surface with a hook and loop first fastener portions adjacent to said edges, forming as an integral unit of a selected material a flexible, elastic body portion, said body portion having an inner face, a spaced, oppositely facing outer face, and three dimensional indicia on said outer face, providing a hook and loop second fastener portion, and bonding said second fastener portion directly to said inner face of said body portion to create a securing member, whereby said wrap member wraps around said strap and said second fastener portion fastens to said first fastener portion along said longitudinal edges to secure said wrap member.
 13. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said step of forming includes molding said body portion.
 14. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said step of bonding includes attaching said second fastener portion to said body portion.
 15. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said material of said outer face has a first color and said material of said indicia includes a second color that contrasts with said first color.
 16. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said material of said body portion is chosen from the group of latex, PVC, silicone and rubber.
 17. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said material of said body portion has a durometer range of 25-70 Shore A. 